Come have a smell

Magik Markers release their new album, Balf Quarry, in May on the esteemed Drag City label.
Now, I won't pretend to know a shit load about this duo of Pete Nolan and Elisa Ambrogio but their album and homemade CD-R releases are well into the double figures at this stage, they've played with Sonic Youth and, as Tim Westwood might say on Twitter (follow him, it's worth it), this shit is box fresh (ahem).
The album plays beautifully into that woozy, bad trip vibe that has gotten under my skin the last while, also breaking into thumping rock-outs every so often.
It sounds, at times, a little like Jefferson Airplane and Sonic Youth fed through a cheap amp with the band having just been subjected to some serious Timothy Leary psychedelic tomfoolery under the guise of 'science'.
The guitars and percussion are interchangeably menacing, chugging, farting, feedbacking and idiosyncratically wahwahing all over the place while singer/guitarist Elisa Ambrogio is well able to keep up with the PJ Harveys and Nick Caves of this seedy, murky world, sporadically chucking in some gloopy electronica effects and piano to complement her vocals.
In spite of the raggedy all-over-the-placeness of Balf Quarry, there is an immediacy to this album which will most likely alienate their fanbase, who are probably now screaming out for a less 'clean' sound than this and an effort more akin to the band's earlier stuff whilst preparing to berate me for only jumping on the Magik Markers train now. Well fuck it, this is great AND they're playing Primavera on the ATP stage. Should be just dandy.



Here's two tracks from the album to have a listen to.

Magik Markers - 7/23

Magik Markers - Jerks